


A Bad Case of Stripes

by sarahnotduck (singforabsolution)



Series: Something Sacred [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Daddy!Steve, Gen, Little!Bucky - Freeform, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, little!Natasha, mommy!maria
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 01:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7247062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singforabsolution/pseuds/sarahnotduck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky's birthday party doesn't go quite as smoothly as Steve had hoped.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bad Case of Stripes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mr_Phich](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Phich/gifts), [LittleGirlLostExplores](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleGirlLostExplores/gifts), [Morethancupcake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morethancupcake/gifts).



> Clint and Phil aren't in this story (sorry!) but they should be making an appearance in the next one :)
> 
> The title is borrowed from David Shannon's book- A Bad Case of Stripes.
> 
> A big thank you to Mr_Phich, without whom this probably series would probably still be collecting dust, LittleGirlLostExplores without whom I probably never would have posted Snips and Snails, morethancupcake who didn't forget about me haha and everyone who has left comments and kudos because you've all been so kind and lovely.

 

 Steve wondered whether or not he should warn Bucky that Natasha was about to drop from  the monkey bars right on top of him but he decided it was probably best to not get involved. Sure enough, the redhead dropped as gracefully as a cat on top of the unsuspecting Bucky who landed face down in the ball  pool with an undignified, "Oof !"   


 

"I told you I was  the champion,  pumpkin head," she announced triumphantly.    


"Get off, Tasha!" Bucky whined as he tried unsuccessfully to dislodge her. "That's cheating."   


But Natasha made no move to get off of his back. She looked like butter wouldn't melt in her daisy print playsuit but the glint in her eye was decidedly mischievous. "Make me."  


Bucky grunted with  effort as he rolled to the side, throwing Natasha off in the process and into the plastic balls before leaping on top of her and pinning her on her back to the padded floor. "Do you give?" He asked.   


"Never, booger-brain." Natasha brought her left knee up suddenly to shift Bucky's  weight forward, before twisting to the side and trapping his knee between her legs. After a lot of tussling, she escaped the pin and somehow ended up attached to Bucky's back like a koala bear.

To the uneducated eye it probably looked like Bucky and Natasha didn't like each other very much at all but the truth was they had been good friends for a number of years now and play fighting (along with name calling) probably accounted for about eighty percent of their interaction, big or little.  


"Daddy? DAAADDY!" Yelled Bucky. "Ow, quit it!" he muttered to Tasha as her knee caught him in the ribs.   


"You alright there, Buck?" Steve asked as he made his way from the seating area across to the edge of the ball  pool .    


"Save me, Daddy! " Bucky looked up at Steve, his arms outstretched.    


"Tasha,  may I  borrow  my Bucky  bear for a moment please? I think I need an extra special hug from the birthday boy. "   


"Can I get a snack?" She asked calculatingly , making no move to release Bucky from her grip.    


Maria probably wouldn't thank Steve for allowing Natasha to dictate the terms of Bucky's release but it was  just so much easier to agree. Besides, it  was the perk of being an uncle. Uncles were allowed to be the good guy whereas the mommies and daddies were the bad guys who said things like  _ it'll __spoil your lunch_.   


"If your mommy says it's okay, there are some home-made peanut butter cookies over in the hamper." That was a compromise, right?  


The redhead considered the offer carefully, or at least pretended to.  " 'Kay."  S he released Bucky and climbed to her feet before dashing off to find Maria who was taking an important phone call from Phil, but Bucky remained motionless at the bottom of the ball  pool .    


"Buck, you alright?"  The brunette nodded slowly and made grabby hands at Steve one more . "You want me to help you up?" He wasn't really sure how much help he'd be in all honesty if he tried because Bucky had a good thirty pounds on him and Steve wasn't exactly renowned for his  physique but try he would for his Bucky bear .    


"Nuh uh. Cuddle Daddy."  


"In the ball  pool ?"   


"Uh huh."   


"Alright." Steve had hired the party room at the Hop 'n' Bounce for three hours so Bucky and Natasha could play in peace, so there was no real reason they couldn't cuddle in the ball pool. He got down onto his hands and knees and laid down next to Bucky who snuggled into his chest. It never failed to amaze Steve how Bucky could fold himself up so small that he gave the illusion of actually being physically smaller than Steve.

The bottom of the ball pool smelled a little like their gym mats had done back in high school but it didn't seem to bother Bucky who was happily sucking on his thumb with his index finger hooked over the bridge of his nose. Steve kissed the top of Bucky's head and draped a protective arm over him, dislodging a few rogue balls in the process. Steve had noticed during the time they'd been playing  in particular the past few months) that Bucky had gradually gotten younger, but for some reason he didn't allow himself to act that way in front of Natasha. Steve wondered if it was because Bucky was embarrassed about it or whether it was being around Steve that aged him down almost involuntarily.

They laid there comfortably for a few minutes before Bucky began to fidget, causing the balls to shift and roll around them. His thumb slipped from his mouth. "Daddy?"  


"Mmm."   


"Need to go potty."   


"C'mon then, boo bear." Steve got to his feet and extended his hand to steady Bucky in case he slipped on any of the balls. He led the brunette through the seating area and into the bathroom, where he diligently checked the toilet bowl for sea monsters before declaring it safe for use and standing sentry outside the stall door. That had been a fairly recent development; Bucky had gone from I can do it all by myself to Daddy, I need you to take me.  


Once Bucky was done, Steve helped him wash his hands, being mindful that the water wasn't too warm but Bucky yelped regardless and  pulled his hand away as if scalded .   


"Owie!"    


"Sorry, baby," Steve soothed as he ran Bucky's hand under the cold water. "There we go. All better?"   


Bucky shook his head. "Noooo!" he wailed . Tears began to roll down his cheeks .   


"My poor little guy."  Steve  wrapped his arms around his boy and hugged him tightly, his brows knitting together in worry . The water had been  lukewarm and couldn't possibly have scalded . Maybe he was tired? Unfortunately Bucky couldn't take a  nap at the  H op 'n'  B ounce so Steve would just have to try and placate him until the party was over. "How about you go eat some of your  special yogurt?" 

 

Another  head shake and a sullen little pout.    


That was surprising. Bucky loved that damn yogurt, it was his favorite comfort food. Steve was a little  miff ed by the whole situation but he tried not to let on that was the case. " Why don't we go find Aunt Maria and see if the  piñata is ready instead ? You can try and  win  some candy for Daddy."   


Bucky hesitated  a moment before nodding but he wasn't excited and  Steve  felt a little guilty because he knew  Buck y had only agreed so Steve could have some candy. Steve didn't even need the candy really because he had bought more than enough to fill the  piñata . Just in case the  split  of candy was inequitable because  you could never  b e too  careful with Bucky and Natasha . Something was  obviously bothering his little boy and it pained  him that he couldn't make it better.    


"That's my good boy."  Steve wiped the tears from Bucky's eyes with his thumbs and then cradled his face in his hands. "You know you can tell Daddy anything, right?"   


Bucky nodded slowly but he looked conflicted and his eyes were still red.  "Steve, I-"   


But Bucky never got to finish. There was a knock on the bathroom door accompanied by a familiar voice.   


"Hey dog breath, if you don't open the door in five seconds I'm coming in and I don't even care what  you're doing."   


Bucky  rolled his eyes affectionately and  moved to comply but Steve's hands remained cupped under his chin. "Buck?" He coaxed. Tasha could wait a moment.   There was obviously something on big Bucky's mind or he wouldn't have called him Steve. Ninety percent of the time, Steve was Daddy, unless there were other people in earshot or Bucky was trying to convey  the gravity of something .    


"Later," Bucky promised before twisting out of Steve's grip and kissing his cheek. "Coming, jerk face," he called to Tasha. 

Steve sat and watched the little ones playing on the big slide. As usual, it turned into a competition, this time to see who could slide down and run back up to the top again ten times first. It made Steve's chest feel tight just watching them but they were having a good time if the giggling was any indication. At the half way point, Maria set a  cardboard coffee cup on front of Steve.   


"Thanks." He shot her a grateful smile. It had been an early start that morning packing all the food up and putting the finishing touches to the cake.   


"No problem. Who's winning?" She asked , taking the seat next to him and sipping her own coffee .   


Bucky clambered up the final few steps at top speed and then launched himself down the slide. A few seconds later, Tasha appeared at the top  and waved to Steve and Maria who waved back with smiles of encouragement.    


"Bucky, but I think Tasha's just pacing herself."    


Maria laughed.  "That's my girl."   


They sat and watched in silence for a few moments while they sipped their drinks and enjoyed the downtime before Steve spoke. 

 

"Maria, can I ask you something?" 

"Sure."    


Steve wasn't sure how to phrase his question. He wasn't even sure he should be asking because it seemed a little like he was outing Bucky against his wishes but Maria was a mommy just like Steve was a daddy and that's what parents did, right? They discussed parenting  issues.

"Is Tasha ever.... younger when it's just the two of you?"    


Maria didn't answer right away. It was as if she was trying to assess what she should or shouldn't say and Steve suddenly realized that maybe she wouldn't want to answer for the same reason that Steve had been hesitant to ask.

"I'm sorry, that's a personal question. I shouldn't have asked."   


"No, it's okay," Maria assured him. "I'd say so yes.  I 'm not sure  Nattie would allow herself to be that vulnerable around anyone but me."   


Steve nodded his understanding. It seemed Bucky and Natasha had more in common than they  realized and it seemed a little sad that they were too afraid of the other's rejection to allow themselves to truly be themselves around each other, even after all those years of friendship. 

There was a squeal of delight from the top of the big slide and, as per Steve's prediction, Tasha had managed to take the lead at the last moment. He hoped Bucky was accepting his defeat  graciously.   


"I just wish I knew how to make Bucky more comfortable with it so he didn't feel he had to hide it from other people."   


"I think the more relaxed we are about it, the more relaxed they will be. The important thing is that Bucky knows he doesn't need to  hide  it from  you."   


"Thanks Maria." It was a good point. Bucky obviously felt free to be as big or little as he wanted to be around Steve and knew he would never judge or mock him for it. It was a big leap of  faith and he couldn't  blame Bucky for being  cautious around other people  especially when it was a relatively new development. 

  


The pair played nicely for an hour or so. They destroyed the piñata in record time (with a stick each seeing as sharing wasn't really a strong point for either of them) and Bucky proudly presented Steve with pocketfuls of candy for which he was rewarded handsomely for in kisses and tickles.    


There had been a minor disagreement over Natasha's rag doll and whether or not boys were allowed to play with dolls, but Maria had smoothed things overly nicely by suggesting they trade special toys for a while and so Natasha played with Bucky's  dinosaur while Bucky played with Natasha's doll.  She had also pointed out that Bucky had been forcibly made over on more than one occasion so if little boys were allowed to be made to wear lilac nail polish and lip gloss then they could play with dolls. Steve didn't say anything but Bucky certainly didn't need to be forced into girly things because he was really quite fond of them. Sometimes when they were in the park, Bucky would pick daisies and ask Steve to make his hair pretty, so Steve would tuck the flowers between the short strands where he could or even make a daisy chain for Bucky to wear if there were enough .   


It wasn't until lunch time that things went sideways.   


'Here's your special cup, Buck. " Steve passed the red sippy cup along without thinking. It had become a favorite item, as the teeth  marks in the spout would attest to.   


Bucky's cheeks reddened. "I don't want it," he said, presumably for Natasha's  benefit . It was unclear whether Tasha was even listening though because she and Maria were busy  coloring in one of the activity place-mats provided by the Hop 'n' Bounce .     


Steve put the cup back in the hamper, relieved that Natasha hadn't noticed. He could have kicked himself for that one. From what Maria had said, it seemed unlikely that Natasha would react negatively, but Bucky didn't know that and he was a sensitive kid.  


Sadly, things didn't improve from there and the birthday boy only seemed to become more and more difficult. He refused to eat his sandwiches and flicked cookie crumbs across the table until Steve took him aside and told him that his behavior was unacceptable and gave him a warning.Trying to engage Bucky in playing Simon Says was like pulling teeth, yet he sulked when Natasha won the game. Steve felt like tearing his hair out. This was supposed to be a fun day and yet nobody was enjoying themselves, least of all Bucky.  


Bucky's face was thunder while they sang Happy Birthday . Steve was a little miffed  because he had spent a long time on the  sugarpaste  Swiper cake, making sure it was just right and he had been relatively pleased with it. Instead of regular candles, Steve had used alphabet candles that spelled out  ' BUCKY ' to  avoid any contention about how old he was so he had been pretty confident that he had all the bases covered. Bucky did pause to make a wish before he blew out the candles though, so that was something  but the mood around the table had fallen flat.    


Natasha decided to break the tension by flicking a glob of green jello at the birthday boy, which   startled him and  things deteriorated further from there.    


"Why are you so mean?" Bucky snapped. "I _hate_ you."  


"Bucky!" Steve  was horrified .  Natasha had been trying to help (in her own way) and although it  hadn't been  tremendously helpful, she had good intentions.    


Tasha frowned and looked down at the table for a moment before she  scooped up a handful of jello and threw it at Bucky who managed to dodge it.    


"Enough, Nattie," Maria told her firmly.    


"No, he's being a butthead!"  Tasha glared at her mommy for a moment before defiantly reaching for more jello but Maria beat her to it and moved the bowl  from her reach.    


"Don't even think about it, young lady." Maria looked  sternly at Natasha and her shoulders slumped a little in  defeat.    


If Steve could just get Bucky to say he was sorry then maybe they could eat some cake and at least part on good terms. "That wasn't a nice thing to say, Bucky. Is there something you'd like to say to Natasha? "   


But the  brunette adamantly shook his head, no. "Nuh uh."   


Tasha stuck her  tongue out and kicked him under the table. It couldn't have hurt much because they were only wearing socks but it startled him and  he retaliated by throwing a slice of tomato at her.   


"That is enough," Steve announced in an authoritative he could barely recognize as his own. "Bucky, you already had your warning so you're in time-out. Go and sit in the corner by the ball pool. We'll talk about this when you've calmed down."  


Bucky looked at his daddy, wide-eyed and a little shocked but neither Steve's expression nor his resolve softened so Bucky complied wordlessly, hanging his head in either shame of self-pity.    


 

"Do you want to tell me what all this is really about?" Maria asked Natasha.    


The redhead folded her arms and tried to look sullen but missed the mark a little. She was sensitive too, even if she didn't like to show it. "Bucky's acting weird and I don't like it!"    


"Oh, Nattie." Maria enveloped her in a hug and seemed to understand just from that one sentence what the problem was and it made Steve feel like a terrible daddy because he had no clue what was going on in Bucky's head.    


Maria pressed a kiss to Tasha's forehead.  "Bucky's just having a tough day, okay? It doesn't mean that he  loves you any less or that you did anything wrong."    


Tasha began to cry quietly and Bucky's eyes also filled with tears as he surreptitiously watched from the corner. "Mommy, I want to go home."  


"Alright, princess. Go and find your shoes." Maria gave her a  small smile and Natasha went off in search of her Mary Janes. 

Steve exhaled slowly and began packing up what was left of the food and dumping it in a trash bag. At least the clean up was a breeze.  "I'm so sorry, Maria."   


Maria waved off the apology and collected the paper tableware up, tossing it into the bag. " Call if either of you need anything, okay?"   


"We will, thanks." They weren't as close as Bucky and Natasha, but Maria was a good friend and Steve was glad to have her.    


By the time Natasha returned ( shoes in one hand and doll in the other)  the table was clear and the balloons and birthday banners had been stripped from the walls. It was as if the party had never happened.   


"Bye  Tasha. Thanks for coming."  Steve kissed her on the cheek and she gave him a brief hug.

 "Bye Uncle Steve." Her gaze flickered over to Bucky where he was still sitting in the corner, but he was staring intently down at his hands. 

"He'll come around, Tasha," Steve promised.    


She nodded miserably and Maria set to work putting Natasha's shoes on her feet and fastening the buckles. Steve said a quick  goodbye to Maria and walked the pair to the door  before turning his attention to Bucky. As it happened, Steve didn't even need to say anything that  time. Either his face said it all or Bucky had been thinking hard about his actions.    


"S-Sorry Daddy, " he hiccuped through his tears. "I didn't mean it."   


Steve knelt on the floor next to where Bucky was sitting cross legged and gave him a hug. "I know, Buck. T hank you for apologizing but I think it was Tasha who really needed to hear it ."   


Bucky cried harder and clung to Steve's t-shirt, burying his face in the warmth of his daddy's chest. 

 

"Are you ready to talk about what's going on?"   


Bucky shook his head and wailed, "I want to go home. Please, Daddy. "

 

* * *

Bucky spent the evening under his favorite blanket with his head resting on Steve's lap. He'd hardly spoken two words since they'd left the party but he'd managed to demolish an entire family pot of yogurt and not a lot else. Steve had thought it best to leave him to it while he licked his wounds. Obviously he was upset but until he was ready to confide in Steve, there was probably not much he could do to help. It was getting late though and as what felt like the zillionth episode of Dora The Explorer came to a close, Steve decided to try and set Bucky at ease a little more to see if he would coax anything from him.  


"Alright, Bucky  b ear , it's bath time."  Steve had never bathed him  before but it  was something  Bucky had expressed an interest in and it would be a good way of proving that he wasn't mad about what happened.   


Bucky stilled and Steve hoped he wasn't about to make things worse but now he had mentioned the bath he was committed to the idea so he acted like it was no big deal and it was something they did all the time. Besides, Bucky wasn't usually shy about complaining when he didn't want to do something, big or little so maybe he just needed a little encouragement.  


"After your bath, I'll make you a snack and read you a story, okay?"  


Bucky nodded into Steve's leg but remained otherwise uncommunicative. It was difficult to get up with Bucky's head still resting in his lap but Steve managed to disentangle  himself  somehow and place a pillow on the now vacant seat for Bucky to rest his head on.    


The tub took a little while to fill so Steve began collecting the things that they would need afterwards such as a washcloth, Bucky's Super Mario pajamas and a fluffy towel fresh from the linen closet. He also added a dash of lavender scented bubble bath to the water in the hopes that it would help Bucky to relax. When everything was in place, Steve  made his way back through to the living room to collect Bucky.   


'Bath's ready. " Steve held out his hand and Bucky rose from the couch, taking hold of his daddy's hand and allowing  himself to be led into the bathroom.   


When they got there Bucky didn't seem to be feeling any more talkative but he did raise his arms while Steve pulled off his t-shirt and step out of his jeans and underwear when requested so he was cooperative at least. Luckily, Bucky was a lot less body conscious than Steve so being naked wasn't really something he felt awkward about.    


Once he was sitting inside the tub and tracing patterns in the bubbles, Bucky finally spoke. " Ducky?" he prompted  quietly .   


"Silly Daddy forgetting Ducky." Steve  reached into the  cabinet under the counter and retrieved a red plastic duck which he plopped into the tub with a splash. Bucky smiled and although it was only a tiny quirk of his lips, it was the happiest Steve had seen him in hours.    


The bath had been a gamble of sorts but Bucky had been acting so little that Steve suspected that it may be something he would enjoy, or at least it was something Steve could do to show Bucky that he was cared for unconditionally . It seemed to be bringing Bucky out of himself a little slowly but surely because he'd gone from watching the duck float, to using his hands to make waves for it to navigate.    


Steve grabbed the washcloth resting on the side of the tub and used it to cascade water down Bucky's shoulders and back, earning him a surprised giggle. He did it a few more times because it was nice to hear Bucky laughing again.  


"Tickles, Daddy!" Bucky admonished him lightly. "You gots to use soap too, not just water or I won't smell good."   


"Is that so?"   


Bucky nodded earnestly. "Didn’t you ever bath nobody before?"   


"Well..." Steve pretended to think about the question carefully. "No, I don't think so. Only myself so I guess I must have been doing it wrong all this time. It's lucky that I have my boo bear to help me out."  


"Yeah," Bucky agreed easily as he squirted some of the pink  glittery body wash on the  wash cloth in Steve's hand . "First you squirt the soap on the thing and then you do the  washin' part."    


"Oh, I see. Now I get it! Thanks for explaining that to me, Buck, you did a great  job."    


Bucky beamed, blooming like a flower upon hearing the praise. It made Steve feel a little guilty that he hadn't handled  the situation at lunchtime better. Bucky was just so good for him usually, he didn't have much experience with tantrums.     


"How about the shampoo?" Steve held up his own generic (or as Bucky would call it, boring) shampoo and started to uncap it.   


"No, Daddy! This one." Bucky grabbed the Mickey Mouse shampoo by the ears and thrust it at Steve who just grinned, pleased to have his little angel back. "Daddy?"   


"Mmm?" Steve replied , massaging some shampoo  into Bucky's hair so he could  wash  the jello out .    


"Am I a pretty mermaid?"   


"The prettiest I've ever seen," Steve assured him.     


Bucky beamed and quacked happily to Ducky who was having his hair washed in the suds that had slid down his shoulders and into the water.

 

Once all the  jello was gone,  Steve rinsed out the shampoo and proclaimed Bucky  clean again. Most of the bubbles had disappeared so he didn't grumble about getting out. Steve made a mental note to get some more bathtub toys and maybe even some of those crayons you could use on the tub .   


"Alright , little guy, time to get out before those sea monsters decide to join you in the tub. Can you pull the plug and wash them back down the drain for me? "   


Bucky's eyes went wide at the thought of the sea monsters  gate crashing his bath and he quickly yanked out the plug. "Got 'em , Daddy!"   


"Well done, boo bear." Steve held out the bath sheet for Bucky to step into and then folded it around his shoulders. "Has my pretty little mermaid decided on a snack yet?" He asked as he began patting Bucky dry.  


The brunette nodded. "Swiper ."   


Steve's eyebrows rose in surprise but he continued to dry Bucky with the towel. "You want some of your  birthday cake?"    


"Uh huh."   


"Okay then. Jammies first and then cake but just a small piece. If you're still hungry, Daddy will make you a sandwich . " Steve was aware that Bucky's diet had been awful that day but it was his birthday and surely one day of junk food a year couldn't hurt. He just hoped it wouldn't cause a stomach ache.    


Steve helped Bucky into his pajamas and then combed his hair before getting him settled back on the couch ready for  his  snack. 

 

The cake tasted pretty  good, if Steve did say so  himself, and Bucky seemed to think so too if the speed it was devoured at was any indication. After they'd finished, Steve gave Bucky his sippy cup with some milk in and he drank it quietly . Steve was about to suggest a story when Bucky decided he was ready to talk.   


"Daddy?"  he asked in a timid voice.    


"Yeah, baby?"   


Bucky shuffled closer and burrowed under Steve's arm where he hid his face in his daddy's chest before confessing,  "I don't want to be big."

"You don't have to be big, Buck. Not if you don't want to be. Where's all this come from?" He'd never pushed Bucky to be big.    
  


" 'S my birthday, " he explained miserably.     


"Oh,  baby .  You're sad because of your birthday?"   


Bucky nodded and Steve couldn't believe he hadn't anticipated this. Of course turning another year older would be difficult for Bucky. Every year he got older was another year further away from where he wanted to be, and instead of recognizing that and helping him through it, Steve had forced him to celebrate it. But Bucky wasn't finished.  


"  'Sposed to be big and  'sposed to like boy stuff but girl stuff is fun and I  do like the boy stuff but it's not pretty and there's no glitter." Bucky pouted.   


"You're allowed to like girl stuff, Buck," Steve told him. "Just like Tasha is allowed to like boy stuff. People can like whatever they want so long as it doesn't hurt  anybody ."   


 "But Tasha said that I couldn't play with Tasya because dolls are just for girls."   


"I think maybe she was just saying that because she wanted Tasya  all to herself. Kind of like the time you told her that your  dinosaur likes to bite fingers. "   


There was a pause.  "Really?"   


"Really."  Steve reached over to the  end table with his free arm and picked up a  lumpy looking object covered in little  raccoons wearing party hats. "I also think you should open the gift  that Tasha got you now. "   


Bucky looked questioningly at Steve, as if to  make sure that he was really allowed to open it after he had been so bad and received a nod in response. He opened it carefully and let out a little , "Ooh," when he saw what was  inside.

"Daddy, look!" Bucky's face lit up as he placed the plastic tiara on his head. It was pink and  glittery and completely over-the-top. It was perfect.

His  face suddenly fell. "I was really mean to Tasha."   


"I think she'll understand if you explain, Buck. She loves you, no matter what. She doesn't care if you like things other people think you shouldn't and she'll always love you, no matter how big or little you are. " Steve paused to give Bucky time to digest what he had just heard and he seemed to be weighing it all up carefully in his head. "She has a playdate tomorrow with another little boy at her Uncle Phil's, maybe we could stop by to apologize and thank her for the gift? We could take some cake to share."  


Bucky nodded, mindful of not being  too boisterous and losing his tiara.  "Yeah, we should." He let out a big yawn and snuggled impossibly close. " Sleepy, Daddy."   


"I think it's time for bed, baby, " Steve told him, ruffling Bucky's dark hair and  jostling the tiara a little in the process. "What story would you like to hear ?"   


 Bucky's eyes narrowed in  thought . It was a big decision to decide on just one story. " A Bad Case of Stripes, " he finally decided.   


"Alright then. Let's get you in bed." Steve gave his favorite little boy one last squeeze before he rose from the couch and held out his hand  for Bucky to take.    


Usually there would be some whining at this point but there was none forthcoming, just a sleepy,  "Love you Daddy."

"I love you too baby." Steve was a lucky  guy.    


Once Bucky had brushed his teeth and was settled in bed, Steve picked up the book from the shelf and made himself comfortable next to Bucky. "Camilla Cream loved lima beans," Steve began.  "But she never ate them. All of her friends hated lima beans,and she wanted to fit in. Camilla was always worried about what other people thought of her."  


By the end of the story, Bucky was asleep so Steve carefully removed the tiara and set it on the  nightstand. He pressed a kiss to  Bucky's forehead. " Good choice, Bucky bear, "  he whispered . Maybe they should take  the book along to Phil's place tomorrow, just in case Natasha would like to hear it too. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to listen to A Bad Case of Stripes and you ask him very nicely, Sean Astin will read it to you  
> [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKaQXmRvpvw%20) It's a little grown up for Bucky, but it seemed like a good fit so I went for it :)
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr at sarah-not-duck.tumblr.com but, before you do that, go and read Mr_Phich's brand new oneshot [strong as the gale.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7256512)


End file.
